People have been raising poultry for thousands of years. Poultry are raised for eggs, for meat, for educational or research purposes, for show, for enjoyment as pets or some combination.
There is an increasing public interest in raising small quantities of poultry. Some of the reasons driving this interest are animal welfare and health concerns regarding how commercial poultry are housed and what they are fed. Additionally, there is a growing public demand for organically raised poultry and eggs for their nutritional qualities.
Whether raised in an industrial facility or a private facility, poultry need housing to shelter them from weather and to protect them from predators. Poultry also need housing to nest, lay eggs, and to roost. In addition, food and water can be provided for poultry in housing.
People who are interested in raising poultry, such as chickens, are confronted with the problem of where to house and care for them. Figuring out how to economically and efficiently house poultry can be a major barrier to getting and raising poultry. When suitable housing is not available, people consider either building poultry housing or purchasing poultry housing.
Many cage or coop structures have been devised for housing poultry. Since the 1940s, the emphasis in the prior art has been on devising housing structures for use in raising large quantities of poultry. Furthermore, many such housing structures for poultry are intended for use inside another larger structure, such as a barn or building, rather than as a stand-alone outdoor structure.
A need therefore exists in the prior art for a new and improved housing structure for raising poultry.